Nu Assistant Quits

Northwestern assistant basketball coach Dave Blank has resigned, but officials say they don`t think the resignation was related to allegations he ran a ticket-selling program while at South Carolina.

Blank, a former South Carolina assistant coach, told school officials he was leaving his part-time coaching position to ``look into other

opportunities,`` said NU spokesman Ken Wilds. ``I think the stuff in South Carolina played little or no role in his decision to leave.``

The ``stuff`` includes allegations by ex-South Carolina players and athletic department personnel that Blank sold complimentary season tickets to boosters and then gave the money to players during coach Bill Foster`s tenure. Foster is the new coach at Northwestern.

Blank, 26, wasn`t available to comment on his resignation, but the Columbia (S.C.) Record quoted a source close to him as saying he did it to save Northwestern from ``adverse publicity.``

-- Former Syracuse standout Tony ``Red`` Bruin was sentenced to five years probation for selling cocaine to an undercover police officer in 1984. Bruin was also ordered to serve 500 hours of community service. Bruin, who pleaded guilty in May to one count of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, could have received a maximum 15 years in prison.

-- Former Fresno State coach Ed Gregory has accepted an assistant coaching job with the Golden State Warriors.

-- Glen Brown, who coached Northern Michigan to 300 basketball victories over 18 years, died Wednesday at age 57 in Marquette, Mich. A basketball star at Bradley, Mr. Brown later coached an Army team at Ft. Ord, Calif., and high school teams in Farmington and Danville, Ill., and New Castle, Ind.

MISCELLANY

Make what you will of this news: Weekend TV ratings for the Goodwill Games were far and away best in Los Angeles, site of the 1984 Olympics. Unlike Boston station WLVI`s .3, Washington station WFTV`s .5, Detroit station WXON`s .7 and Chicago station WGBO`s .8, Los Angeles` KTLA drew a 6.8. . . . Lee Trevino will make his first appearance in golf`s Skins Game this year. Trevino will join Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and defending champion Fuzzy Zoeller for the $450,000 Skins Game Nov. 29-30 at the PGA West stadium golf facility at La Quinta, Calif. . . That loud noise in Detroit Wednesday was the beginning of the end for Olympia Stadium. Demolition is underway on the ``Big Red Barn,`` where the Red Wings won seven Stanley Cup championships from 1927 to December 1979. The Red Wings` current home is Joe Louis Arena. . . . Belgium`s Ludo Peeters won the seventh leg of the Tour de France cycling race. Ron Kieffel of the United States was second. Denmark`s Jorgen Pederson moved into the overall lead at 28 hours 48 minutes 36 seconds. America`s Greg Lemond is 35th, 2:58 behind.